Walking our dog can be a bit of a challenge. She is what you would call a “puller”. We had our dog trained to walk on a leash, but lately she has been regressing. She has a mind of her own and likes to lead our walks, pulling the entire way.
After one too many walks where it felt like she broke my hand from pulling so hard and I would end up with leash impressions on my hand, we decided to give a no pull harness a try.
The Harness
The no pull harness we bought is the Arcadia Trail Neoprene Dog Harness, which we purchased from our local Petsmart. See our review of the Arcadia Trail Dog Harness HERE.
What Makes A Dog Harness “No Pull”?
The Arcadia Trail dog harness, like all no pull harnesses, has a hook in the front by your dog’s chest. This is where your leash will attach.
The concept is that by attaching the leash in the front, your dog won’t be able to walk in front of you. They can only walk behind or next to you.
First Impression
When we first attached the leash and started walking, immediately there was a difference in how my dog walked. She still walked in front of me, however, she did not pull and it was a much more leisurely walk, with no leash impressions on my hand!
Over Time
We have used the no pull harness for a few weeks now. Our walks are much better, but she still walks a little ahead. We definitely need to work some more on our training.
The biggest issue we have with a no pull harness is when our dog walks at our side, you need to hold the leash up a bit or keep it short, otherwise the leash can get caught under your dog’s front leg while walking.
Another issue we had was when our dog would circle before going to the bathroom. Since the leash is in the front, we need to move it around with our dog while she circles to avoid the leash wrapping around her.
Yet another issue we found is that since our dog walks a little ahead, the leash tends to pull on the harness moving it out of place. This results in us having to constantly readjust the harness while walking. We don’t know if this is an issue specific to the harness we bought, or if this happens with all no pull dog harnesses.
Pros:
- Easy to use. Just clip your leash onto the ring and start walking.
- We noticed an immediate difference in how our dog walked as soon as we put the harness on her.
Cons:
- Your dog won’t magically know how to walk properly with the harness (we wish!) and will still need to be trained.
- Harness can move out of place if your dog walks in front of you.
- The leash can get caught under your dog’s front legs if you like to walk them on a long leash.
- You need to move your leash around as your dog circles before relieving themselves to avoid the leash wrapping around your dog.
Overall Impression
Our dog definitely needs more training and a no pull harness is a good start. If your dog is a puller it is worth giving a no pull dog harness a try. It is easy to use and we saw an immediate change in our dog’s behavior on our walks. The biggest benefit for us: no more leash marks or crushed hands!
A no pull harness may not totally solve your dog’s leash walking issues but it can help. There are definitely a few cons, but if we can get our dog to walk better, they are a small price to pay.
Overall, we think it is worth giving a no pull dog harness a try.
Please check out our other posts on Health, Indoor, Outdoor, and Travel accessories for your dog, as well as Reviews of various products and travel destinations.